


At the touch

by passionjunkie



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, hugging :))
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-20
Updated: 2014-03-20
Packaged: 2018-01-16 09:29:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1342318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/passionjunkie/pseuds/passionjunkie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zayn's dealing with a breakup and Louis takes him to the park to try cheering him up. Liam and Harry are giving out free hugs for a class project. The two couples intertwine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	At the touch

“Will an ice cream make you feel better?”

The remains of the leaf Louis had been picking apart came Zayn’s way. They floated down and littered on his stomach. With a hand, Zayn brushed himself off then closed his eyes again. He heard the wheels on the pathway beside them when the ice cream cart passed.

“My treat.” Louis added.

Zayn didn’t answer. The seething sun made him hot everywhere it touched. It was a day that would’ve normally meant smiles and laughter. Today Zayn just didn’t feel like it. Louis had tried though. He’d dragged Zayn out to the park, situated them under the big oak tree.

“Come on, Zayn.” Louis sighed. Then he was quiet. Their shoulders bumped, pressed together, when Louis lied down next to Zayn in the grass. “I know breakups can be though, and I think I’ve given you plenty of support here, but at least try? It’s a two-way street. I can’t _make_ you be happy again.”

Zayn didn’t answer right away. He dragged a few fingers through his hair then said “Sorry.”

“Don’t say sorry. This isn’t about me, you idiot. Just try smiling. Try laughing. Fake it. Breakups aren’t the end of the world.”

“I know.”

“And _you_ were the one who broke things off, so you don’t get to act all heartbroken.”

“I know.” He wasn’t. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was loneliness. It was just something that hurt. It almost felt like a void inside his chest. He and Perrie had been together for five years after all. She was his first girlfriend. His first real girlfriend. He didn’t know how to be without her. And maybe that had been the problem.

They just looked up into the baby blue sky for a while. Unsurprisingly, Louis pushed himself up a beat later, prodded by his elbows, because Louis can’t sit still. Zayn kept staring at the sky though, while Louis scanned the park, head turning in a half circle. He sat up a little straighter, legs crossed.

“I know what you need,” When Zayn didn’t answer, he said “a hug.”

“Huh?”

“There are two blokes holding up a free hugs sign. That’s exactly what you need. A free hug.”

“A hug from a stranger?”

“Would you rather have one from me?”

Zayn wrinkled his nose. “No.”

Louis slapped him on the stomach. “Fuck you. I give great hugs. “

Snorting, Zayn half sat up, following Louis line of vision. By the fountain were two guys holding up a sign. “I think I’ll pass.”

“Zayn,” Louis groaned. “Remember, two-way street? _Let_ me to help you. I know what’s best for you. Just do it. Come on.” He got up and started pulling on Zayn’s arm. Zayn frowned. But after a moment of watching Louis huff and puff, he got up. Dragging his feet, he followed Louis over to the fountain.

“This one needs a free hug.” He said as they approached the two guys. One of them looked up. Zayn looked over his shoulder at the video camera pointed at them. Were they documenting this?

“Okay.” The one who looked up said. He lowered his sign, resting it against the fountain’s edge and stepped forward.

“Do you want a free hug?” His friend asked Louis.

Louis gave him a short look before answering “No, I’m good. Thanks.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.”

The curly haired shrugged and went to ask a couple of girls passing by. Louis looked after him.

Zayn still hadn’t aligned himself with the guy with the brown eyes. Brown eyes that were attentively watching him. Zayn bit down on his lip.

Great.

This was awkward.

He didn’t have to make it awkward. They gave hugs to everyone. So Zayn stepped closer and then the guys pulled him in. His arms wrapped around Zayn’s smaller back. His head rested on Zayn’s shoulder.

Okay maybe he’d needed a hug. Maybe a hug from an attractive stranger was exactly what he’d needed. But before he could catch up to the moment and fully enjoy being wrapped in the firmness and warmness of another person’s body, the guy pulled away. Zayn drew back as well. He didn’t dare to look the guy in the eyes, so he glanced over at Louis.

Louis was smirking. “I think he needs another one. He’s had a rough couple of days.”

Then they were hugging again. This time, Zayn locked his hands around his back, and tilted his head slightly into the crook of the guy’s neck. They were probably plastered too closely for two strangers who just meet, but Zayn felt himself melt into it. Felt himself heavy, sinking. It was so nice that his eyes fell close. He smelt like powdery laundry detergent. Then Zayn started thinking about how close they were actually pressed together. And that he could actually feel the tickling touch of his warm breath on his shoulder.

And then they were standing apart again. Zayn’s whole front felt bare. He felt weightless; like a feather. The guy was fiddling with a clipboard on the table they’d set up, with his eyes downcast. His cheeks were dusted pink. Zayn held his breath.

“We need your information to use this in our video,” he said, jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. The camera was staring at them. Zayn nodded.

“Okay.”

As Zayn wrote his signature, Louis asked “What is the video for?”

The curly haired one came over and said “A class project.”

“For what subject?” Louis addressed the one Zayn hugged.

“Psychology.”

“Ahh.”

“The power of touch.” Curly chimed in.

Zayn handed over the clipboard.

“Thank you.” Brown eyes said. “We’ll send the finished video to the address you put down.”

“Okay.”

“Good luck on your project.” Louis said.

“Hey,” Curly said before they could turn to leave. “Group hug!”

He draped both his arms around Louis and Zayn, urging them towards the other bloke, and then they were all pressed together in a heap. Zayn tried not to move.

“I think the one with the dimples touched my ass.” Louis muttered as they left.

Zayn hadn’t noticed anyone with dimples but he could imagine who that would be. He snorted. “You loved it.”

Instead of answering, Louis said “So are you ready to admit that I was right? That I know what’s best? Because you seem better. You look better. And that -”

Zayn looked back over his shoulder. Yeah.. maybe he was.

-

Liam and Harry were skimming through the footage from earlier that day. Brief hug after hug. Until the silhouette of the dark haired one - his form said Zayn - and his friend came into picture. Liam stiffened a little. It felt like he was invasively watching in on a private moment. Something in his stomach fluttered.

“Is he smelling you?” Harry asked, frowning.

“Um..”

Liam hit fast forward and didn’t stop until the hug was over and the four of them came together in the spontaneous group hug that Harry had initiated.

“Are you touching that guy’s bum?” Liam asked, frowning.

“Um..”


End file.
